Salvador: nearly 42,000 arrests in the "war on gangs", and on human rights

Heavily armed police guard the streets of downtown San Salvador, El Salvador, Sunday, March 27, 2022. AP - Salvador Melendez

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The Attorney General gave an update on Thursday, June 16 on the “

” declared by President Nayib Bukele on the criminal gangs, the “ 

.

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Nayib Bukele had launched his war against the

at the end of March, after a wave of assassinations which had left 87 dead.

The Salvadoran president then declared a

, which allowed the police and the army to arrest suspected gang members en masse – based, the attorney general said yesterday, on their tattoos and drug seizures. 

42,000 suspected mareros therefore joined 16,000 others in already overcrowded prisons.

Of these 42,000, only 8,800 are awaiting a first appearance: the others, more than 33,000, are “

” for six months – a detention that the prosecution can then extend for another six months.

Body tattoos, used by members to identify themselves with their " 

", as well as drug seizures, are among the " 

" held against the suspects, says Attorney General Rodolfo Delgado.

The “ 

”, of which the two main ones are Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13) and Barrio 18, are said to have around 70,000 members, but Nayib Bukele is determined to get El Salvador off the list of countries with the highest crime rate, excluding conflict areas.

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Concerns of human rights organizations

Ten days ago, the NGO Amnesty International denounced " 

 ", and the death of at least 18 people in detention.

The online media El Faro affirms for its part that the 87 assassinations at the origin of this wave of arrests were in fact caused by the non-respect by Nayib Bukele of a secret pact which he had sealed with the gangs. criminals.

But all this does not prevent the Salvadoran president from enjoying, with this declared " 

" on gangs, record popularity in the country. 

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• salvador

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• Nayib Bukele